CULINARY HARMONY: Favorite Recipes of the World's Finest Classical Musicians

 

NANCY'S MEHTA’S MOGLI CHICKEN
Serves 8 to 10

Included with this recipe was a cooking tip: “This dish is most successful if prepared while listening to music conducted by Maestro Mehta.”

2 tablespoons warm milk

1¼ teaspoons ground cloves

1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ teaspoon or more of saffron
4 boneless, skinless, whole chicken breasts,

slightly flattened (about 3 to 3¾ lbs.)

Seasoned flour

¼ cup butter

2 large onions, chopped

6 large cloves garlic, crushed
½ inch piece ginger root, ground

1¼ teaspoons ground cumin

1¼ teaspoons caraway seeds

1¼ teaspoons ground tumeric

1 green chile, split  

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Seasoned flour

1 large tomato, chopped 

1 hot cup water

1 cup sour cream

Place milk, cloves, cardamom, brown sugar and saffron into warming dish or pan and heat slowly until ingredients are dissolved. Keep warm. Dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour.

Heat butter in heavy skillet over medium heat and brown chicken. Remove chicken, add onions, garlic, and ginger to skillet, sauté until onions are transparent. Add cumin powder, caraway seeds, turmeric, chile and cayenne to onion mixture. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until chile is brown, spices are mixed and seeds are fried lightly. Replace chicken breasts to the skillet, add tomato and cup of water, and simmer about 25 minutes, covered, until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally.

Move chicken breasts and sauce from skillet to baking dish. Pour warm milk solution and sour cream over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until completely heated. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUSTRALIAN CHICKEN
Serves 12 to 14

This recipe comes from David’s wife, Mary, who is Australian. She enjoyed preparing this favorite recipe during their courtship.

Meat from 2 cooked chickens
(about 2, 3½ pound fryers)

Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 sweet red bell peppers, chopped

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 green bell peppers, chopped

3 cups heavy cream
1 large onion (¾ pound), chopped

Paprika
3 cups chopped mushrooms

In a large pot with cover, fill with 1 quart of lightly salted water and boil whole chickens for about an hour, or until tender. Remove meat and place chicken chunks in a greased 4-quart casserole dish.
Heat butter in a large skillet and sauté peppers, onion and mushrooms on medium-high flame, until tender. Add to chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add mustard and Worcestershire sauce to cream and whip until cream is quite stiff. Spoon over vegetables, spreading gently with a knife. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sauce is melted and top is slightly brown.
Serve with rice, salad and French bread.

 

 

 

 

 

PASTA A LA PIEMONTAISE
(From a Region of Northern Italy)
Serves 4

The below recipes are inspired by my motheŕs wonderful gift of cooking. To this day, still the best cook I have ever met. --H.G.

4 oz. unsalted butter

Nutmeg
8 oz. ‘crème fraiche’*

1 tablespoon flour
3 to 4 oz. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Ham, cut into small cubes (optional)
Salt to taste

14 oz. of egg and spinach pasta

Put butter, crème, Parmesan, a little salt, a little nutmeg, flour and optional ham into a pan. Let it warm up on low heat while stirring. Do not boil. Cook pasta and drain. Mix with sauce.

*If ‘crème fraiche’ is unavailable, substitute 8 oz. of sour cream instead.



PASTA SAUCE NAPOLITANA
Serves 2 to 3

⅓ cup olive oil (cold pressed)

¼ teaspoon thyme
1 medium onion, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon laurel
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 clove
1 tablespoon flour

Salt to taste
1¼ cups water

Choice of Italian seasonings
¾ pound fresh tomatoes, quartered

8 oz. pasta of choice

Heat olive oil in medium-large skillet, add onion, and cook on medium heat for one minute or so, then stir in crushed garlic and the flour. Let the onion become ‘blond’ in the pan (about 5 to 6 minutes), then add 1¼ cups water.

Add the tomatoes, thyme, laurel and clove. Feel free to add any of your favorite Italian spices (oregano, basil...). Let it cook for 30 minutes, uncovered, on low heat. Stir occasionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
Makes a 10 x 12-inch two-layer cake

Ms. Voigt received this rich delicious recipe from a long time friend of the family. She simply describes this cake as being “really yummy!”

CAKE MIXTURE:

3 cups plain flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs, beaten

1½ cups oil

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

8 oz. can crushed pineapple (with juice)

2 cups chopped bananas (the riper the better)

CREAM CHEESE ICING:

2 sticks butter

8 oz. package cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

16 oz. powdered sugar

A little milk, if necessary

Some pieces of mango (optional)

     *some people prefer to use more cream cheese and less butter for a cheesier taste.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add eggs and oil, stirring well until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not beat. Stir in vanilla, crushed pineapple and bananas.

Spoon the batter into two, 10 x 12-inch square cake pans that are well greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Test with a toothpick in the center to check if it comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before placing on cooling racks.

To make icing, process the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together. (Let butter and cream cheese soften first.) Add powdered sugar and process again. If too stiff, add a little milk. Use a little icing and pieces of mango for the center layer. Cover the cake with rest of icing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIGO BOUIDO
(Garlic Soup)
Serves 6 to 8

This recipe comes from Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1.

While enjoying your first bowl of garlic soup, you might never suspect its ingredients. Because the garlic is boiled, its after-effects are at a minimum, and its flavor becomes exquisite, aromatic, and almost undefinable. Along the Mediterranean, “Aigo Bouido” is considered to be very good indeed for the liver, blood circulation, general physical tone, and spiritual health. A head of garlic is not at all too much for 3 pints of soup. For some addicts, it is not even enough. --Y.M.

1 separated head of garlic

or about 16 cloves whole, not peeled

¼ teaspoon sage

¼ teaspoon thyme
3 pints water

½ bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

4 parsley sprigs
Pinch of pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves

5-pint saucepan

Drop the garlic cloves into boiling water and boil 30 seconds. Drain, run cold water over them, then peel. Place the garlic and rest of the ingredients in the saucepan and boil slowly for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

A wire whisk

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 eggs yolks

A soup tureen

Beat the egg yolks in the soup tureen for a minute until they are thick and sticky. Drop
by drop, beat in the olive oil as would be done in making mayonnaise. Set aside.

Strainer

4 oz. of grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Rounds of hard toasted French bread

 
Just before serving, beat a ladleful of hot soup into the egg mixture, drop by drop. Gradually strain in the rest, beating and pressing the juice from the garlic. Serve immediately over bread and cheese. If reheating next day, do not bring to a boil.

YOLANDA KONDONASSIS, HARP